I really enjoy a good veggie burger and love that there is such a variety on how to prepare them- some are made with rice, some with lentils, some full of vegetables. One thing they have in common though- no meat! This version is a little different than your typical veggie burger- it’s got a Mediterranean flair, almost like a big falafel veggie burger. I have wanted to to make a falafel burger for some time now, ever since I went to this burger restaurant in downtown Olympia (Washington) that has one on the menu.
I always keep canned beans on hand for a variety of recipes- salads, soups, stews, veggie burgers, tacos, the list goes on. Here I used chickpeas or garbanzo beans, which are a great heart-healthy source of vegetarian protein and fiber.
For this recipe I got a head start by making the mixture the day before I baked them simply because I knew I wouldn’t have much time Sunday with church, grocery shopping and cleaning up after 3 very messy children. I think it probably helped the mixture stay together better, but it’s not a necessity.
I went back and forth on whether or not to put feta cheese in the patty but decided I’d incorporate it into the sauce with Greek yogurt. I’m not going to lie, I think the feta sauce is a must. It really ties everything together. I decided to freeze a few of them for later on in the week.
Here are the patties before going into the oven, baking them keeps the fat content down. I might try brushing them with olive oil next time to make them a little more moist, but my husband and I both liked the flavor. Top them with some veggies and the feta sauce and you’ve got a healthy, high fiber sandwich!
Hope you all had a great weekend! I Know that for a lot of you it’s the end of spring break where ours isn’t until the first week in April. I never knew that some schools had spring break so late since in Texas it’s always been early-mid March.
It was a pretty typical weekend over here. I did my 11 mile run on Friday instead of Saturday since the kids’s soccer games were earlier on Saturday. This was a tough week of running for me. Motivation was low, low, low. I just didn’t want to get on my treadmill and had no chance to get outside expect for the long run which I ran half of in the rain..that’s how desperate I was for outdoor running! I know it’s totally normal to go through an exercise rut and for me a lot has to do with the need to change things up…whether it be my pace, location, etc. I get bored easily. Hoping this week is a little more fun!
I did some tentative meal planning on Sunday. I didn’t get to the butternut kale lasagna a couple weeks ago but it sounds so good to me so I’ve got to make it this week. What are you planning?
Sunday
Veggie and Quinoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers, Leftover Pesto Pasta
Monday
Butternut Kale Lasagna, Salad
Tuesday
Turkey Chili, Cornbread
Wednesday
Leftovers
Thursday
Veggie & Cheddar Omelets with Toast
Friday
Leftover Falafel Veggie Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Asaparagus
Saturday
Out to dinner!
Like falafel? Then you’ll probably like this healthier no-fried alternative, falafel veggie burger!
- 2 (15 ounce) cans low sodium garbanzo beans, drained
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup sliced green onions
- 1 cup packed fresh spinach
- ½ cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup panko
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup crumbed feta cheese
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat it well with cooking spray or olive oil.
- In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, tahini, cilantro, green onions, spinach, red bell peppers, garlic, panko, egg, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, coriander and salt.
- Pulse until garbanzo beans are smooth, but not overprocessed (some chunks are fine). Transfer mixture to a bowl; shape the mix into 6 equally sized patties, flattening slightly. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, flip with a spatula and bake additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve with lettuce, tomato, cucumber slices and feta yogurt sauce.
- In a mini food prep, combine feta, Greek yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. Puree until blended.
Questions: did you do anything fun this weekend? What’s on your meal plan?
- 2 (15 ounce) cans low sodium chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ⅓ cup sliced green onions
- 1 cup packed fresh spinach
- ½ cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup panko
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup crumbed feta cheese
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat it well with cooking spray or olive oil.
- In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, tahini, cilantro, green onions, spinach, red bell peppers, garlic, panko, egg, olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, coriander and salt.
- Pulse until garbanzo beans are smooth, but not overprocessed (some chunks are fine). Transfer mixture to a bowl; shape the mix into 6 equally sized patties, flattening slightly. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, flip with a spatula and bake additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve with lettuce, tomato, cucumber slices and feta yogurt sauce.
- In a mini food prep, combine feta, Greek yogurt, garlic and lemon juice. Puree until blended.
Chocolate Coconut Dessert Hummus
Loaded Southwestern Hummus
Raspberry Chia Parfait
Orzo Chickpea Pasta Salad
Those look delicious!! I’ve been on a bit of a veggie burger kick lately. Just started making my own at home and they aren’t as hard to make as I thought they would be. This is on my list to try!
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted..TBD
Mmm, we love falafels… this looks so good. I just cooked a big batch of chickpeas, too… I’ll have to see if I can squeeze it in. Or might need to add it to next week’s menu plan!
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast recently posted..Accentuate the Positive
Lotsa chicken!
Great looking recipe 🙂
Oh yum! That looks delish.
Sounds like a great meal plan this week. We are going to do fish, quinoa chili, pizza, veggie burgers and shrimp/pasta. We’ll see how the plan goes this week. It will be busy around here so hopefully we won’t cave and order pick up lol
This weekend we went shopping and cleaned out kitchen drawers and some cabinets. It was nice to get rid of stuff and organize some other things.
Angie @ Losing It and Loving It recently posted..Meal Planning Time
You’ve done it again! Yum! Just so happens I have all the ingredients to make these. Might have to change the meal plan….
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama recently posted..Marathon Training Week 5
I love falafel and yogurt sauce so I bet this would be a dream!
Monday- breakfast tacos, eggs for kids, tofu scramble for mom & dad
Tuesday- homemade vegan lasagna, doubled for freezer
Wednesday- bean burgers, turkey pesto burgers, doubled for freezer
Roasted okra & baked potatoes
Thursday-butternut squash soup, doubled for freezer
Friday- falafel pitas
I can’t wait to try your falafel burgers. Falafel is one of my new favorite foods!
YUM! I love falafel. This recipe sounds great :).
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl recently posted..Tempeh Reuben Sandwich
YUM! These sound really good. I think I will make them in a mini version in pita bread for my little guy…thanks for the great recipe.
Laura | My Little Gourmet recently posted..Blueberry Banana Oatmeal Cups
This looks fantastic! Great idea.
Made these today and they are SOOOO good! I love the fact that they are oven baked and not fried … so much healthier. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I am so glad you liked them and thanks for letting me know!
I made these a few weeks ago and they are, without a doubt, my favorite veggie burger ever! My two teenaged sons and husband also fell in love with these and we all fought over the left overs..needless to say this is one recipe that will be made over and over again. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
I made these for dinner last week, but as falafels instead of burgers (it made about 18). They were so delicious that even my boyfriend (who usually hates veggie burgers) enjoyed them! I just made a few changes to the recipe by omitting the green onions and using homemade whole wheat breadcrumbs instead of panko. Will definitely make this recipe again!
Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen recently posted..Quinoa and Steel Cut Porridge with Sautéed Apples
Thank you Chelsea! That is so nice to hear. 🙂